A Truly Wild Rumor Says the Honda S2000 Will Return as a Miata Competitor

This is not one of those glamorous rumors, where an automotive journalist overhears a private conversation between engineers about a secret project. This, basically, is wild-ass speculation. But if you start looking at the evidence, it's not entirely based on thin air.

According to UK-based outlet Autocar, "representatives from Honda's advanced engineering department are said to have attended a recent S2000 owners' club event in the British Isles—a sign that the firm wants to listen to enthusiasts in order to help it to position the next version of the car accurately." That's it. That's the foundation for this entire rumor.

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At face value, that's pretty thin. Automakers often send representatives to enthusiast gatherings, especially for halo cars. The S2000, which ran from 1999 to 2009, definitely built a loyal following among gearheads. Nearly seven years after the last one rolled off the assembly line, demand for the lightweight, elemental roadster with the screaming, high-revving naturally-aspirated engine is still strong. It would almost be more shocking if Honda didn't send someone to the meetup.

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But look at the landscape right now. If you wanted to buy a brand-new, sporty drop-top right now, you could get a Mazda Miata . . . or spend a whole bunch more to get into Z4/Boxster/370Z/4C territory.

And Honda's global boss Takahiro Hachigo has spoken at length about the automaker's need for more enthusiast offerings. While he didn't talk specifically about an S2000 return, he told Autocar "we are receiving requests from our regions who are saying they would like more sports cars, so we are considering ways to do that." He also admitted that Honda had hurt its enthusiast image by "abandoning" hardcore cars like the S2000, which, he's not wrong about that.